4 Bucks most likely to be traded becomes clear after slow start

With the Milwaukee Bucks off to a slow start, currently sitting at 13th in the Eastern Conference due to a 1-4 record, it's clear that something isn't working.

While the roster looked decent on paper entering the season, that was clearly disputed due to a lack of reliable athleticism and youth, which has plagued them throughout this ugly start. Despite how early in the season it is, plenty of people think this Milwaukee Bucks team needs a trade to shake things up and get back to their winning ways.

If they do take that route, an NBA insider revealed which Bucks are the likeliest to be dealt.

It's clear which Bucks are the likeliest to be dealt

On his recent video intel drop on Bleacher Report, Jake Fischer highlighted three veteran Bucks who are the likeliest to be moved due to their salaries and Milwaukee's financial restrictions.

"If the Bucks are going to get better... it's most likely going to be a piece of their core, you know, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton. Someone who plays meaningful minutes. Someone who's playing roughly 30 minutes a game going out the door."

With the Bucks unable to combine salaries in trades due to the second apron, any trade they make will have to involve sending out their own players individually. This season, Brook Lopez will earn $23 million, Bobby Portis will take home $12.6 million and Pat Connaughton will pull $9.4 million. Any of those could help the Bucks add an impact rotation player, especially with draft capital attached.

All three are playing a part in Milwaukee's struggles due to their lack of quickness and athleticism, which have seen them get hunted against younger teams. Strangely, Doc Rivers was playing all of them simultaneously against the energetic Grizzlies in Milwaukee's latest loss, highlighting just how big of an issue this could be for the Bucks moving forward.

In addition to these three, MarJon Beauchamp cannot be excluded. Fischer mentioned that after the Bucks declined his fourth-year option recently, Beauchamp's representation and Milwaukee are both on the same page in terms of wanting to find him a new home. Unlike the three veterans, though, the young wing does not have a salary that could likely net the Bucks a valuable return.

A MarJon Beauchamp trade would likely be more focused on the Bucks opening a roster spot to add a free agent over another player through trade. There are several eye-catching names still waiting for a phone call, including Lonnie Walker IV, Markelle Fultz and Dennis Smith Jr. There's an argument to be had that any of those three could bring something the Milwaukee Bucks need right now.

The Bucks will likely wait things out for the time being, but once a good chunk of the league becomes trade eligible in December, these trade rumors could heat up.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.